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Saturday, April 19, 2014

Malmaison

Thursday Jeanne (365 Dresses) and I went to Malmaison, Empress Josephine's residence near Rueil. Just a short ride on RER A or ligne 1 to La Defense and then bus 258 upstairs in the bus terminal stops right at the chateau. Well a nice walk down the lane at any rate. Entrance is 6.50 euros.

Et voila..

You're there and it's not nearly as crowded as Versailles but every bit as beautiful.

And possibly more serene.

The décor inside is just as riveting. I thought the audio added a lot of nice details(2€) You'll know the architects of the Empire were deeply.

Inspired by their time in Egypt, there are obvious Egyptian influences throughout.

We followed the couple in period costume..

They seemed to know the ropes.

Many, many fabulous beds

Why ever am I sleeping on a Tempurapedic travel mattress on the floor ?

Of course we didn't get the chance to test the mattresses...they may be soft as marshmallow/guimauve.

Remember to look up.

The ceiling decor is gorgeous

Josephine was fond of Teal and expert at billiards it's said...

She looks quite glam immortalized

In the many portraits.

And Napoleon is of course

All over the place

The Corsican makes quite a handsome bust.

Did he import cedrat citrons for the occasional snack from his homeland?

Yesterday I sashayed into La Bonbon au Palais and noticed something new. I seem very well acquainted with every damn candy in the place...hmmm.

Georges insisted I try a bar of Corsican nougat with bits of cedrat adding an acidic touch to the sweetness of the almonds. Do take a short but very serene trip out of Paris to visit Malmaison. Then pick up some Napoleonic, Corsican snacks atLe Bonbon au Palais19 rue Monge 75005.

That looked like an amazing place and you do have the knack of seeking candy anywhere! I love historical places where they have characters in costumes it really does seem to bring the place alive. I recently went to Hampton Court Palace and we followed 2 ladies in wimpoles wearing wides dresses with corsets :-)

My mother used to bake Christmas brioche bread with candied cedrat. Fresh Cedrat is quite common in Italy. I always try to take at least one large fresh fruit home with me. I forgot about the last one and it dried out. I may just apply some gold leaf, its shape is so beautiful (it shrank quite a bit), with the stem still attached. Next time you are in Venice, look for it at Rialto market!

One of my hopes is to visit Corsica or la Corse one of these days, hopefully soon because the world best glacier is there. He makes his ice cream using all of Corsica's bounty and they say that he is a genius. I forget his name and where in Corsica but I will find him.If ever you get an opportunity to visit la Corse don't pass it up, it is breathtakingly beautiful

How lovely, I think you made a wise decision Versailles was so crowed on the two occasions we went I was't prepared to wait and Malmaison looks much more elegant and free from the maddening crowds. Your friend George has introduced you to many new delightful flavours.so different from all the chocolate for Easter.

On our trip to Sicily our guide fixed us some cedra - after paring the outside (he said you could candy it) he cut the rest into small chunks - I suppose you could also do slices - and dressed it with a mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt. It is a cold summer salad - and the white part is not pithy - you cut up all the rest including the tiny fruit inside. It isn't puckery. I'm trying to find it in the Seattle area - think I'll be successful?

Glorious eye candy! I've never been drawn to antiques...have always told my antiquing friends that someone has to select today's future antiques. :-) But seeing everything together as it once was reveals the appeal of these pieces.

So many castle's in France that I would like to take one year off and visit them all <3 Malmaison seems to be a good choice since it's possible to get there without a car so it's now on my list, thanks Carol!

Thank you for today's post - I did not know about Malmaison. The website has a fabulous virtual tour! I will be sure this visit this special place the next time I visit France (this September, hopefully).